Ring binder



Sept. 24, 1963 J. MINTZ RING BINDER Filed De0 '7. 1961 INVENTOR.

JULIUS MINTz ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,104,667 RING BENDER Julius Mintz, 2345 Walton Ave., New York, N.Y. Filed Dec. 7, 1961, ser. No. 157,659 1 Claim. (Cl. 129-11) This invention relates generally to retaining devices and more particularly to an improved retaining device employing a plurality of spaced apart rings or the like all of which can be simultaneously opened by a single operable element. The retaining device of the present invention is hereinafter described and shown in the drawings forming a part hereof as it may be employed in conjunction with a ring binder or ring board used to loosely bind or hold a plurality of sheets, pages, cards or the like in order on the board. The separable or openable rings enable any one or more of the sheets, pages, etc., to be readily removed, replaced or new sheets added. While the invention is described and shown as applied in the above manner it will be apparent that the features can equally well be applied to various devices such as, for example, a wall rack wherein the separable or openable rings are used to hold various articles for display or other purposes.

It is one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a device having a plurality of rings adapted to simultaneously open under spring action on the operation of a single release member.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the above type employing a plurality of individually separable ring-like elements adapted to hold a sheaf of papers or the like and wherein the top sections of the ring-like elements or the sections normally used to guide the papers or other sheets as they are turned, are arranged to fold to the sides. Such an arrangement permits the sheets on the ring-like elements to be held in position and also permits a much more convenient stacking of a pile of ring binders.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel and improved arrangement for retaining the separable ring-like elements in a closed condition.

Other features of the invention reside in its ease and low cost manufacture as well as its simple and reliable construction.

The above and further objects and features of the invention will be more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention as it may be applied by way of example to a ring binder or ring board wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in the latter of which:

FIG. l is a plan view of a part of a at board with the ring binder of the present invention associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a right-hand end view of the ring binder showing a ring in a partly open position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3 3 of FIG. l; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of two of the operating elements of the ring binder.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 11 indicates in general the board or other surface to which the ring-binder may be secured or mounted and since the present invention is described as it may be employed in conjunction with a ring board, the board 11 is assumed to be for convenience slightly larger than the sheets it is intended to hold. Secured to the face of the board, prefe r ably adjacent one edge, by suitable means, such as by rivets 12, is the ring binder supporting base structure 13 which is the preferred embodiment is formed by a stamplll? Patented Sept. 24, 1963 ICC ing operation from sheet metal. The base structure 13 has at its lowermost edge as shown in FIG. l a half rounded section 14 at the ends of which are a pair of holes 16. A U-shaped rod 17 has upright arms 18 extending through the holes 16 and its central section 19 is held to the half-round section 14 of the base by a rivet 21. Pivotally attached to the upper ends of the arms 18 by pins 22 are slightly bent extensions 23, the arms 18 and extensions 23 form the fixed part of the rings of the ring board.

The rear section of the base 13, or top section as shown in FIG. 1, has extending sections which are turned back upon the base to form a pair of spaced apart circular cross-section loops 24. The ends of the extending sections may have tabs such as 26, FIG. 4 which extend through suitable slots in the base and are then bent against the base to add rigidity to the loops 24.

Fixed to the right hand loop 24, FIG. 1, by a rivet 27 is an inwardly extending pivot pin 28 and loosely held in the left hand loop is an operating plunger 29. The operating plunger 29 extends beyond both sides of the left-hand loop 24 and at its left hand is a linger knob 31. The operating plunger 29 has an axial groove 32 extending from the knob 31 to a point adjacent its right hand end and a cut-away section 33 adjacent the middle there. The purpose of the groove and cut-away section will be pointed out hereinafter.

Pivotally mounted on the inwardly extending ends of the plunger 29 and the pivot pin 28 between the loops 24 is pivot plate 34 preferably of sheet metal. A circular cross section loop 36 of the plate 34 engages the said pivot pin and operating plunger and tabs 37 extending through suitable slots add to the rigidityr of the loop. The rear or right hand section of the plate 34, FIG. 4, is rounded at 38 and has riveted thereto by rivet 39 a U-shaped member 41, having aL pair of spaced apart upwardly extending arms 42.' Holes adjacent the ends of the rounded section 38 are provided for the arms 42.

Pivotally attached to the upper ends of the arms 42 are curved links 43 the free ends of which are recessed to receive projections 44 at the ends of respective extensions 23 and when engaged therewith form the closed rings for the ring binder.

Contained in the loop 36 of the pivot plate 34 between the opposed ends of the pivot pin 28 and the operating plunger 29 is a coil spring 46, the ends of which are anchored in suitable holes in the pin 28 and plunger 29. The spring 46 exerts an axial pressure against the inner end of the plunger to hold the plunger to the left as shown in FIG. 2. A rectangular depression 48 is formed by depressing a section of the loop 36 into the groove 32 for purposes hereinafter apparent. The spring 46 also exerts a rotative force on the plunger in a clockwise direction as viewed n FIGS. 3 and 4. A somewhat similar depressed section 49 of the left hand loop 24 of the base is depressed into the groove 32 but as will be noted in FIG. 1 is at a slight angle to the axis of the loop and also has a beveled surface 51 at its right hand end. In the closed position of the ring binder the beveled surface 51 engages the right hand corner surface 52 of the cut-away section 33 of the plunger 29.

Having described the various elements and arrangements of the invention as the principles thereof may be applied to a ring binder, the operation and interrelation of the various elements will-now be set forth. With the rings formed by the various described arms, extensions and links in the positions shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, sheets, cards or pages threaded on the rings may readily be turned one or more at a time for inspection or other purposes. Also with sheets threaded on the rings and resting on the board 11 and assuming the stack thereof does not extend above or that the stack can be depressed to a level no higher than the pivots at the lower ends of the extensions 23, the upper sections of the rings can be pivoted outwardly approximately 90 as indicated by the dot-dashed outline thereof in FIG. 2. Thus, these sections of the rings tend to hold the stack of sheets on the board in a compressed condition and with these sections in this position the total height of the board is materially reduced which lends a plurality of boards to more convenient and space-saving stacking.

When it is desired to open the rings to remove and/ or insert a sheet, the finger knob 31 is pushed to the right and when this movement is suicient for the right hand end of the depression 49 to clear the corner 52 of the cut-away section 33 of the plunger 29, the spring 46 is eiective to rotate the plunger in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the left. By means of the depression 48 in the loop 36, the pivot plate 34 with its attached sections forming a part of the rings pivots with the plunger 29, as indicated in FIG. 3. This pivoting may be limited by the U-shaped member engaging the board 11. The finger knob 31 may be pivoted on the end of the plunger so as not to inhibit the pivoting of the. latter.

With the rings in an open position they may be closed by exerting a forward and downward pressure on the movable sections thereof and just as, or just before reaching the closed position the plunger 29 is rotated sufiiciently for the right hand surface of the cut-away section 33 thereof to clear the depression 51. Thereupon the spring 46 is effective to move the plunger 29 to the left with the corner 52 of the cut-away section engaging the beveled surface 51 of the depression 49. This action of the spring is such as to overcome the action thereof tending to open the rings and thus the rings are held in a closed position,

It will be obvious from the foregoing illustrative embodiments that various modifications and changes in the structure of the device described can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, for example, providing a ring binder or a rack or other holding device having considerably more than two openable rings or elements, and it is l,desired therefore that only such limitations be placed therefor as are specifically set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a ring binder of the type described, a base mounting plate having a pair of aligned spaced apart loop members along one edge thereof, at least two spaced apart fixed rod-like members extending in upward direction 1 from said base plate ina line spaced from and parallel to the axis of said loops, a pivot pin fixed in one of vsaid loops and extending inwardly therefrom, a plunger carried in the other of said loops and extending from both' ends thereof, a pivot plate having a loop along one edge thereof engaging the inner ends of pivot pin andsaid plunger, a cut-away radical notch joining an axial groove along said plunger, a depressed section of said pivot plate loop'engaging said groove whereby said plunger is ro` tatable with said` pivot plate, a spring in said pivot plate loop having-one end anchored in said Vpivot pin and the other end anchored in said plunger and exerting an out- Ward force thereon, said spring also exerting a rotative force on said plunger, at least two spaced apart rod-like,L

members extending in an upward direction from said pivot plate in a line spaced from and parallel to the axis of said loop, the ends of said rod-like members being curved to align with the ends of respective fixed rod-like cient to disengage the notch therein from said depressed section to permit said spring to rock said pivot plate and separate the ends of the rod-like members thereon from the ends of respective rod-like members of said base plate with said rod-like members remaining in the planes of said fixed rod-like members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 511,888 Hawkins et al. Ian. 2, 1894 828,974 Schmidmer Aug. 2l, 1906 846,230 Morden Mar. 5, 1907 

